Heating a liquid to the point of vaporization has traditionally been accomplished by introducing large volumes of liquid in coalesced or atomized form to a heated surface. This process takes place within an enclosed space commonly referred to as a boiler or steam generator. The resulting vapor can then be delivered to demand or application points where the heat or work energy of the vapor is used.
In processes where a coalesced liquid is introduced to a heated surface, most of the liquid component is used to transport that portion of the liquid which is to be vaporized. In doing so, most of the heat energy is consumed by the transport molecules, not the vaporized molecules.
When an atomized liquid is applied to a heated surface, it is impossible to have an even distribution of the liquid and thus it coalesces. This results in a similar problem as that described above where heat energy is lost to the liquid component.
It is clear that traditional methods of vaporization have inherent drawbacks associated with loss of heat energy. This loss of heat energy ultimately drives upwards the cost of the overall process. Thus, there is a clear need for a process that more efficiently utilizes the heat energy to accomplish the task of vaporization.